NOSE GUARD

1. Stance: 3 or 4 point (comfort)

2. Alignment: Head up on offensive center (unless vs. unbalanced line)

3. Responsibilities:

a. "A" gaps (guard to guard)
b. Must force double-team
c. Keep center off of linebackers
d. Do not penetrate
e. Hit and read backfield flow

4. Option Responsibilities:

a. Dive man to quarterback
b. Take proper angle of pursuit

5. Pass Responsibilities:

a. Read Pass
b. Rush passer inside out
c. Look for draw plays (sometimes we will assign the NG to stay at home & watch for draw and screen.

6. Coaching Points:

a. Control the center's head
b. Stay low
c. Play down the line of scrimmage
d. Do not pick a side (keep shoulders square to LOS)
e. Double team - make a pile, do not get driven off LOS

Defensive Ends

1. Stance: 2 or 3 point (depends on offensive formation)

2. Alignment: Head up on Offensive End

3. Responsibilities:

a. Control "B" gap and support "C"gap

b. Read offensive ends movement to backfield action

1. Inside release - jam offensive end in and read backfield action
2. Outside release - control your outside shoulder. Do not penetrate more than 2 steps across the LOS

c. Backfield Reads

1. Kick out - notice flat route of lead back. (Inside run)
2. Hook - lead back is bellying out. (Outside run)
3. Dive - Squeeze to "B" gap. Look for option. If option, squat.
4. Away -

a. Mental trail - Hit & Read flow away. Check for counter, bootleg, & reverse. Then take proper angle of pursuit.

b. Physical trail - Hit & read flow away. Pursue as deep as the deepest offensive back & check for counter, bootleg, & reverse.

4. Option Responsibilities:

a. Quarterback to pitch man or pitch man
b. Must not go to dive man. (Discipline)

5. Pass Responsibilities:

a. Dropback pass - outside in pass rush. Must contain the QB.
b. Sprint out Pass -

1. toward - contain QB
2. away - physical trail

6. Coaching points:

a. Offense has split end. 2 point stance & DE contains.
b. Stay at home and do your responsibility. Exception: Physical trail

Inside Linebackers:

1. Stance: 2 point. Feet parallel to LOS

2. Alignment: Head up on offensive guard, 3 yards of LOS

3. Responsibilities:

a. "A", "B", "C" gaps
b. Read through guards to backfield
c. Inside -out pursuit
d. Watch for screen pass & draw plays
e. Flow away backside backer has slow read to contain cutback, counter, and reverse.

4. Option Responsibilities:

a. Playside - dive man to QB to pitch man
b. Backside - QB to pitch man. Do not pursue to quickly. (cutback)

5. Pass Responsibilities:

a. Man to man coverage - assigned to one of the running backs
b. Zone coverage - shallow half of the field on either dropback or sprint out.
Watch backs primarily.

6. Coaching Points:

a. Stay square to the LOS
b. Jam & separate on coming blockers
c. Do not step up to close to the LOS (easier to block)

Outside Linebackers: (cornerbacks)

1. Stance: 2 point with feet staggered (inside foot forward)

2. Alignment: 3-5 yards off of LOS & 1 yard outside the offensive end.
Depth will vary depending on down & distance.

3. Responsibilities:

a. Control the "C" gap & contain (force) on outside runs.
b. Read through offensive guards to the backfield
c. Backfield Reads

1. Flow towards - make sure of run & come up towards LOS & turn the play inside (contain)
2. Flow away - stay at home & watch for counter, bootleg, & reverse. After ball crosses the LOS. Take proper angle of pursuit toward the ball carrier

4. Option Responsibilities:

a. Playside - pitch man to QB
b. Backside - stay at home & watch for counter, bootleg, & reverse. Take proper angle of pursuit

5. Pass Responsibilities:

a. Man to man - read pass & cover man assigned.
b. Zone coverage

1. Dropback - outside deep third of the field
2. sprint out - outside deep third of the field

6. Coaching Points:

a. Must have outside in support on running plays.
b. On pass plays hit the receivers every time a ball is thrown to them

Safety:

1. Stance: 2 point with feet staggered

2. Alignment: 7-10 yards off of the LOS over the center. If slot to one side he will cheat to the slot side.

3. Responsibilities:

a. At snap, key the uncovered lineman to the QB
b. First step should be a read step backwards
c. Read and react to pass first, then support the run only when the ball has crossed the LOS. (HB Pass)

4. Option Responsibilities:

a. Once you have read option, flow in the direction of the backfield, again you must read pass first, then support the run. Pitch man is your responsibility.
b. Never support run unless the ball has crossed the LOS.

5. Pass Responsibilities:

a. Man to Man - cover man assigned or if no assignment, play as a free safety.
Usually will be assigned to one of the tight ends or a split end.
b. Zone coverage - Middle deep third of the field on straight drop back and on roll out deep half of the side of the field the QB is rolling to.

6. Coaching Points:

a. Inside-out support on running plays.
b. Again play pass first and run once the ball crosses the LOS.